1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information network system which makes use of television broadcasting or radio broadcasting and a broadcast receiving user terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional television receivers merely display an image and reproduce sound transmitted from a broadcasting station by wireless or by means of a cable, and usually allow information communication with users only in one direction. When a user intends to make use of a television shopping service guided in a broadcasting program, the user will telephone a service center which provides the service. However, it is cumbersome to the user in that the user must take a memo of a telephone number, and the telephone system is liable to become busy. On the service center side, responses to individual users who telephone the service center are performed manually and sufficient information cannot be acquired in a short time.
A television receiver with a bidirectional communication function which includes a communication control circuit which allows bidirectional communication with a broadcasting station is proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. Heisei 7-79425. With the television receiver, however, a user can communicate only with a broadcasting station, and the method of utilizing it is limited significantly. On the other hand, in a shopping data base service which makes use of personal computer communication, many cumbersome operations are involved such as operations for confirmation of the address of a data base center, assurance of an accessing method and checking of whether or not contents of a service satisfy the user. Consequently, the general public cannot utilize the shopping data base service readily.
In this manner, the television broadcasting at present presumes one directional communication and does not allow bidirectional information interchange with a service provider which makes use of television broadcasting. This similarly applies to radio broadcasting.